"It's a very simple game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains."
(Bull Durham)

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Buc Bombed 11-4

Edinson Volquez got through the first in good shape, with the only blemish a two-out walk to Joey Votto. Alfredo Simon gave up a one-out knock to Starling Marte who stole second (Brandon Phillips pushed his foot off the base and was scolded by the ump while Marte chuckled) but that was all the Bucco action.

Jay Bruce opened the second by hitting a two hopper to Ike; it took a bad hop and bounded into right; that would hurt. A walk, wild pitch and sac fly made it 1-0, and Volquez kept it from being worse with a K and fly ball. Josh singled with one gone in the Bucco half, and after a few tosses to first stole second. Pedro went down swinging, setting up an intentional walk to Jordy. Volquez K'ed, but made Simon use up a half dozen pitches to earn it.

With an out in the third, Todd Frazier got a fastball pretty much where last night's game-winning homer was spotted, so Volquez will take giving up a single. Votto drilled a knock up the middle and took second when Cutch's throw went to third, where there was no play. That was followed by another wild pitch, and Russ got a good bounce, but Volquez was late getting to the plate. It was moot after Phillips doubled to left, followed by a Bruce walk. After a visit from Ray Searage, Edinson hit devin Mesoraco to load the sacks, and Skip Schumaker singled home another run, and Zack Cozart blooped in another.

After 64 pitches and much embarrassment, Volquez was replaced by Stolmy Pimentel. Simon tapped back to the box, and Stolmy got the force at home. But the umps called for a blocking review, and NY gave the Reds the run. It seems Russ put one foot on the plate, as it was a force play, and that was the violation. Clint Hurdle is no dummy; he came out smokin' and got ejected so he doesn't have to watch any more. Hamilton singled in two more and went to second on Polanco's throwing error (no one bothered covering second to catch the ball). Anyway, two more outs ended the frame at 8-0, an hour and 25 minutes after the game started. The Bucs went down 1-2-3 after plate ump Mike DiMuro rung up Cutch on consecutive pitches off the plate.

The Bucs won the rest of the game 4-3 in an 11-4 rout that was delayed an 1:15 by rain. The most interesting part was Pedro's run; he was ruled out at home in the fifth, but on review, it was ruled that the plate wasn't blocked, but he beat the throw, which is a challenge call, not a review. JT had a pair of RBI while El Coffee and Marte drove in one each. Oh, Travis Snider pitched, too, giving up a couple of runs in the ninth during his first outing since he was 15. Oh, and he whiffed Votto for at least a moral victory.

Nothing much to be said about tonight. Jeff Locke takes the bump against Homer Bailey in the get-away game if the weather cooperates.

Starling Marte extended his hit streak to nine games; Cutch' streak ended. Gregory Polanco had two hits and his eight game hitting streak remained alive.

Brock Holt started in center the other night for the Bosox, and the catch he made added to his legend.

Talk It Up

If you have any thoughts to share or an idea for a future post, we're all ears. Give us a shout atThe Green Weenie. And by all means, let your voice be heard and leave a comment. We enjoy the chatter.

One rule: if you want to leave a relevant link, or a link to your site, that's fine with us; the more the merrier. But if you're trying to sell stuff or are leaving flaming posts, we zap it, no questions asked.